Automatic device for controlling the speed of trains.



L. w. HORNE & CRANE. AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF TRMNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT; 4, 1913.

Patented May 4, 191:1

INVENTORS Lawrence Wesley Home Warren Ngle Crane 2W ATTORNEY WITNESSES a refrains? I|AWR,ENCE WESLEY HORNE AND 'W'ARREN NOBLE CRANE, 0E NEW,YORK, N.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING: THE SPEED OF TRAINS.

aisaioe.

Specifieation of Letters Patent.

7 Patented May 4, 11915,.

Application filed September 4, 1913. Serial No. (88,077.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Lawannoii WESLEY Homvn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State o'f New York, and

and requires no assistance from the engincer or train operatives.

The principle is that of electro-magnetic attraction which will-retain the device inoperative so that a train will be subject to control by the engineer or other authorized persons during all times when the right of way is clear to the train, but when, however, i for any reason the way shall be obstructed,

the magnetic attraction is broken or interrupted and a. pneumat c device automat1-,

cally sets the brakes to a greater or less ex-- tent reducing the speed of the train to an extent that shall be predetermined.

In the best working of this invention, the device consists of two parts. The part carried by the locomotive and designed to operate thereon and therewith and the part secured and in operable relation with the rails of the track as fully described and shown,

in an application filed by us on Sept. 4th, 1913, Serial No, 788,078.

The construction of our device, its method of operation, and the advantages to be derived therefrom, will be fully set forth as the specification progresses.

The following is what we consider the best means of carrying out our invention, and the accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, in which;

Figure 1., shows a side elevation of the completed device in operative position. A convenient rotating part of the locomotive or train is shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2, is a central longitudinal section through the cylinder, and shows the valve; piston, and spring in elevation. This and the'twc' figures following are on a larger scale. 'Fig.

device.

Snnilar reference numeralsindicate like nisins. Fig. 4, shows what we will term, a train magnet.- Fig. 5, shows the friction This figure 1s 1n section.

parts in all the figures where they appear. Our invention consists of devices which provide for a selective operation, and for a time element control of that operation. The selective operation is obtained by the attraction and interrupted attraction to the running rails 1 of a magnet 2. When running on ordinary hard steel rails the magnet is attracted to the rail, and held downward, and the pull of the magnet holds the rod 3 which firmly engages a valve 4 upon its valve seat 5. Againstthe pull of the magnet, the pres sure of air from a reservoir, pump, or other desired source entering through the pipe (3 into the chamber 7, 1S endeavoring to unseat the valve thus an interruption of the magnetic circuit will allow the air pressure to unseat the valve, allowing air to pass into a cylinder 8. Arranged in this cylinder is a piston 9, under the pressure of a spring 10. The entrance of the air into the cylinder tends to compress the spring and force the air inlet.

Connected to the piston rod 11, and operand arranged in this pipe 14., is an'exhausting valve 1-5, upon the stem of which is a piston away from the counter weighted sextant 16, provided with a number of teeth 17. The movement of the bar 12.1will cause the dog 13 to engage one of the teeth 17, and the sextant will be operated and -the'valve opened to the extent of the movement of the bar 12. The

movement of the bar 12 is. however not sufficient to open the valve 15 by a single move ment of the oa'r as will be fully explained.

By the movement of the bar 12, the latch 20'will be released from the angle block 19v carried by the bar 12, and will engage one of the teeth. 1.. of the sector 16. The move :nent of the bar will'continue until the enlarged portion or butt 21 which is shown as formed integral with the bar 12, en-

. gages a weighted and enlarged extension i 22, formed. integral with or rotatably secured to the latch 23, releasing the latch 23 l i from the projection 2% of the rod 3. Now

and a counter weight or spring may be provided to close the valve 15 and return the sextant-to the position shown in Fig 1. Should a second dia-magnetic section be reached before the complete return of the piston, the valve 4: will again be lifted and engaged upon the latch 23, and the piston will receive a second impulse which will cause the dog 13.110 engage another tooth of the sector 17, opening thevalve 15 and setting the brakes of the train.

In Fig. 3, we have shown the bar 12 and parts attached thereto as they will appear after the first impulse. Here the latch 20 is shown engaged. with the sector 16, and it will readily be seen that a second impulse to the piston 9 and bar 12 when the parts are so arranged would cause the dog 13 to engage a tooth 17 that would insure that the valve 15 would be fully opened. We may arrange so that it will only require two interruptions of magnetic circuit and two openings of the valve 1, and the impulses of the piston 9 to open the valve 15, or we may 35 I arrange that it will require a number of such interruptions and impulses.

It is desirable that when the movement of the train is reversed" or the train is run backward, our automatic device shall be come inoperative, and to that end we have provided a-valve 30 operated by a weighted lever 31, connected to this lever 31, is a link 32, which terminates in a lug 33 formed integral with a friction disk 34.'. This disk is rotatably and loosely mounted upon a shaft 35, which may be any convenient rotating shaft of the locomotive or train. Secured upon the shaft 35, we have arranged a member 36, having an outwardly extending annular flange 37, and upon an inner face of E the flange 37, we secure a disk of fiber or any other suitable material as indicated at.

This disk 38 bears against one side of the friction disk 34, and against the other side of the disk, we arrange another fiber disk 39, which is secured to and mounted on a movable member 10. A spring 41 which bears between the movable member 40, and a convenient flange or projection 42* formed integralwith or secured to the member 36, tends tourge the fiber disks 3S and 39 into close and intimate contact with the friction disk 34. l/Vhen the train is running ahead,

- the friction disk will be retained in the p0sition shown in Fig. 1, but when the train is reversed, the friction disk, the link 32, and

the valve lever 31, will be conditioned shown in the dotted lines. This motion of the valve lever closes the valve 30, and

makes our device inoperative, as air cannot enter to lift the valve 4, even though the magnetic circuit be broken.

We have set forth that a (liar-magnetic section of' a rail, would allow our device to operate. It may,'-however, be desirable that the devlce shall not operate when passing a normally nonmagnetic 560131011. 'lhereiore,

we-have devised certain means for magnetia' ing a die-magnetic rail section or rather for completing the .magnetic circuit while a train is passing over a non-magnetic sectionp The means for establishing aunagnetic section at will, are-fully described in another'applicati'on. This means, however, utilizes a peculiarly shaped and laminated train magnet, and as this magnet controls to .a certain great extent, the operation of the I valve 4 and all of the parts here described,

except the valve 30, the friction clutch and parts connecting them together, we'show the magnet in Fig. 4. Here, the magnet is shown in end elevation, and it will be observed that it is an inverted U in shape, though having the laminations at one sideprojecting in an uneven line. This is intended to equalize the air space on the side o't'a rail that must be free for the flange of a wheel but we have merely shown this method for reducing the gap for the sake of convenience, although we may accomplish it in a different manner. I

e desire to-call particular attention to the speed control thatmay be obtained with our device. When the magnet 2 passes over a non-magnetic section of rail, the valve 4: may lift; to be retained by the latch 23 until. the projection 21 disengages the latch when the valve twill again be rescated and the piston 9 may return without affecting the brakes. If, however, a second dia-inagnetic section shall cause the valve 4 to operate before the elapse of a specified time, the valve 4 will again lift, causing thedog 13 to open the valve 15. If, however, the speed of the train is reduced so that the second diamagnetic section is not reached until the piston 9 has fully returned, the second operation of the valve and the consequent operationsof the piston and parts attached there-f to will be no more eil'ecti've than'thc first train will stop at a given point it will only be necessary to arrange dia-magnetic see operation and no automatic setting of the v tions closely adjacent so that the piston 9 will return but suificient distance between the sections to allow the dog 13 to ratchet the valve 15 fully open with" the second or any subsequent impulse and operation of the piston 9.

It is obvious that modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of this invention. The automatic return of the valve 4 and resetting of the brakes may be dispensed with if desired, if omitted however it willbe necessary to manually reset the valve 4 to free the brakes. I

Although we have described the magnet 2,

ermanent magnet having one downward y depending side, terminating in an even line, and another side, the laminations of which terminate in an uneven line, so as to equalize the air gap, we desire it understood that an electro-magnet may be used or that any other means for providing an efiicient magnet may be employed.

Having carefully andfully described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for controlling the speed of trains comprising a valve adapted to be opened by a fluid pressure and a non-mechanical means for closing said valve and retaining it temporarily closed, a piston op.-

I erated upon the opening of said valve, means valve normally closed, mechanical means for for retaining said valve temporarily open, and means operated by said piston for disengagingsaid temporarily retaining means,

" and allowing said valve to be closed.

2. A device for controlling the speed of trainscomprising a piston, a fluid pressure supply 'for said piston, a valve for controlling the admission of fluid pressure to said piston, a'magnet-ic means for retaining said temporarily retaining said valve open, means operable by said piston for disengaging said mechanical means to allow said valve to close, anda secondary valve adapted to be operated by the movement of said piston as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A device. for controlling the speed of trains comprising a piston, fluid pressure supply for operating said piston, a valve, controlled by a non mechanical means adj acent to a track, fob admitting air to said piston, a secondjva e controlled by the movement ofsaid piston and provided with means adapting it to be opened to a greater extent by each movement of said piston after the first,

4. A device for controlling the speed of trains comprising a pipe for supplyingair under pressure, a mechanically operatedmeans for exhausting said train 'line air pipe,

and automatic means operated by a rotating part of said train for making inoperative 'said automatic means during a reversed movement of the train.

6. A device of the character described comprising a train line air pipe, having a valve and means for operating it, a cylinder and piston operable therein, a bar secured to said piston and extending parallel. therewith a ratchet and dog supported by said cylinder and operable by said bar for controlling said valve, and a magnetically operated valve having its seat formed integral with said cylinder, and controlling the operations of the piston as herein specified and i for the purpose set forth.

7. A device of the character described comprising a source of air supply, a magnetically operated valve arranged to control said air supply, a mechanically operated valve arranged to control saidair supply, means connecting said mechanically operated valve to a rotating part of a train to open said valve upon a forward motion of said train and to close said valve on the reversed motion of said train, in combination with a piston operated by said air sup-- ply and controlled by the said valves, and an additional valve arranged in a train line air pipe, said additional valve having means by which it may be opened through a series of steps by a plurality of operations of said piston as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A device for controlling the speed of trains comprising a piston, means for operating it, a valve adapted to be operated by said piston, and a means for obtainin a second operation of said piston and a urther movement of said valve before the return of said piston from the first operation causing it to operate said valve by the secondoperation.

. Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York this 29th day of Au ust 1-913.

- LA RENOE WESLEY HORNE.

WARREN NOBLE CRANE. Witnesses: l

G. E. STERRITTE,

ARTHUR PHELPS MARR, 

